Government to revise definition of mini and micro tea factories

New Delhi, July 25 (KNN) In order to encourage small tea growers and offer them better price for their products, the government has planned to revise a 2003 order to define mini and micro factories and provide various benefits to them.

Minister of State for Commerce (Independent Charge) Nirmala Sitharaman informed then Lok Sabha that a proposal has been proposed to amend the Tea (Marketing) Control Order 2003 so as to define mini and micro factories and exempt them from obtaining no objection certificate for manufacturing tea.

Sitharaman further said that in order to ensure better price to small tea growers, who supply tea leaves to factories, price sharing formulas have been notified for different tea growing states.

Payment of green leaf to the growers is closely monitored by the district green leaf price monitoring committees, Minister said.

Financial assistance of around Rs 55.56 crore has so far been extended to the small tea growers in the XII plan, she said. (KNN Bureau)